Lonesome Winter, Trusting Spring, Bonds That Last Forever
by smaguire
Summary: Jack accidentally goes to far with a prank. Bunny looses his temper, and strikes out. He said things that were never meant to be said, breaking the frail bond of trust they had built. Will it ever be fixed or will Pitch get to him first?
1. Chapter 1: Once Spoken, It Can Never be

**Okay, so after reading some other fanfic I wanted to create this. So warning now It'll be a bit angsty, but It'll get better. So here's the first chapter of my second fanfic called Lonesome Winter, Trusting Spring, Bonds that last forever. **

Chapter 1: Once Spoken, It Can Never be Unspoken.

All Jack had wanted to do was have a little fun and play a small prank on Bunnymund like he always did. He hadn't thought it would completely back fire like it did. He hadn't realized how badly his powers would go haywire, it was like back in '68 all over again. His panic had only made it worse too. He tried to calm down and stop but the power just kept bursting forth of it's own accord. The Warren was supposed to only have a light dusting that would have melted in an hour at most. But… It was now covered in about four to five feet of snow. When he finally got it to stop he didn't know what to do. He panicked again and took off not waiting to explain what had happened to Bunny and apologize. He had the nagging feeling that he was just making it worse but he ignored it. He bolted back to the pole.

~Later~

Bunny came back from gathering paints from the eastern coast of Africa. When he popped up from his hole that led to his tunnels he automatically could feel something off. The land of eternal spring was cool. Cooler than it was supposed to be. He jumped out off his hole and landed in the four feet of snow. At first he wasn't sure what was going on but slowly felt his anger rising. It was less than four months 'til Easter and he was already behind schedule. "FROST!" He jumped into his hole, headed strait for the pole.

~At the Pole~

Jack was sitting in the workshop, across from North. He was waiting for the inevitable, knowing that Bunny would be angry, but he thought if he could explain that the pooka would understand. Bunny stormed into the workshop. Tooth and Sandy who had been chatting quietly in the opposite side of the room, having been there visiting North before Jack had arrived looked at the rabbit confusedly. The rabbit honed in on the winter spirit. He stomped up to him and lifted him by the collar of his hoodie, glaring in his face. "What the bloody hell did you do to MY WARREN?" Jack tried to play it cool and smirked at the pooka.

He tried to down play his panic by saying, "What Kangaroo? Can't handle the cold?" He regretted it almost as soon as he said it. Bunny's nostrils flared and he punched Jack in the face, the force sent the eternal child flying across the room. North was startled to say the least. Tooth flew over to Jack and helped him sit up. Jack cupped his cheek, staring at the rabbit in shock. Bunny snarled, "You bloody snowman, you mess everything up! You shouldn't be here! You're worthless!" Jack's eyes started to water, but Bunnymund paid no heed and kept going. "You were never meant to be a guardian, all winter does is kill!"

Jack felt the tears and tried to tell Bunny it was an accident, "No wait, I didn't… It wasn't supposed-" Bunny cut him off.

"You always mess it up, you aren't worth it. You should be alone, and invisible. You shouldn't be alive. All you manage to do is kill! You're a murderer. Kids don't believe in you for a reason. We don't want you here. We hate you, you aren't apart of our family! **_Just disappear_**." Bunny seethed and hissed at the young guardian. And when the red haze lifted he finally noticed the astonished looks the other guardians were giving him. He looked down at the child, he had been so furious at, and finally saw the tears and angry red welt that marred his other wise snow white skin. He finally saw the silent sobs the boy was trying to desperately hide. Jack stood up abruptly pushing Tooth's off just as quickly. His mask was in place. His eyes hardened into a deathly glare. Snowy flurries started to fall, and Wind howled through the room, according to its master's mood.

"I didn't mean for it to happen! I tried to explain but now I know how you honestly feel. If I could disappear I would have long ago. I tried! But death doesn't come to claim immortals, you freakin' Kangaroo! I already hate myself too! Fine I'll disappear again, not like it wasn't like that for the last _300 years!_ I know you all don't care if you did I wouldn't have been alone for centuries!" The snow and wind pushed the four guardians back and he flew out of the pole.

Bunny stared after the boy, and suddenly felt a stinging feeing in his cheek. He glanced down and saw Tooth tears in her eyes. "Why… WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT TO HIM?!" She screamed making the rabbit jump in surprise.

"Well, he-" She cut him off much like he had to Jack.

"No! I don't care! You know how much he hurts. You know how much he cares about what you think. You know how much he just wants a **_Family_**!" Her tears still streaming down her face. Sandy and North glared at the rabbit. But… They knew it was also their fault. They had left the child alone for 300 years. But they never thought that he… That he hated himself or tried… Tried to _kill_ himself.

"Ve must find him." Was all North said. He didn't even look at Bunny as he walked away.

~With Jack~

He had fled to Antarctica. He sat on the ice covered continent, sobs wracking through his small frame. He had known that this would happen eventually, but there had been a hope that it wouldn't… That he would finally have a real family, that he wouldn't be _alone._ The wind tried to comfort him, it blew around him softly, its gentle breeze cool and affectionate. His sobs slowly ebbed until he just sniffed. Then he felt a looming presence behind him. It was eerie, and very, _very dangerous. _Like a sleeping serpent. He gripped his staff turning slowly and cautiously. And when he looked, it was the one person he never wanted to see again. Even more so than the guardians at that moment.

"Pitch…" He hissed through clenched teeth.

**I know it's kinda a cliffy. But I hope you liked it. It's a concept I've been playing with for a while. So it turned into this. Please R&R!**

**~Smaguire**


	2. Chapter 2: To Be Lost and Never Be Found

**Okay, so in less than thirty minutes after writing the first chapter I got ideas for the second chapter and decided that I had to write while I had the ideas in my head. Oh how I love the dear old Plot bunnies that come to see me. Okay, so here goes. Enjoy! (I think…)**

Chapter 2: To Be Lost and Never Be Found or To Be Found and Never Be Lost

Jack stared at the Boogeyman. He couldn't stand being even near him, so why now did he have to show up? Just when he thought things were fine, Bunny goes and blows up on him, and now this. "What do you want?" his voice dripping with venom.

"Well, Jack. It would seem that the guardians abandoned you _again_. So, I took it upon myself to come and ask you to join me." Pitch smirked at the teen in front of him.

Jack's eyes turned into his harden glare again, an almost feral snarl on his face. "I've said this before, and I shall say it again. I will never join you, you understand nothing. I don't want to be feared, I want to be believed in."

Pitch shrugged, and took a step forward. Jack literally growled at the offensive being. He didn't care anymore about himself, but he did care what happened to the children of the world. He also knew that he absolutely hated this man. He wanted nothing to do with him, especially right now. He launched himself at Pitch, icing to freeze him one blow. He was furious right now, and the only person who would even stand a chance at reasoning with him, was the person who had set him off in the first place. Pitch seemed to be surprised at the sudden turn of events. Apparently, he didn't think he was going to be violent from the start. But what Pitch didn't know was that he would crush anything right now. He would lash out at anything and everything, that was how angry he was right then, and he was just making it worse. The lashing icy wind hit Pitch in the chest, a large slash in his robe and cut across his torso as well.

Pitch jumped back and summoned his nightmares to surge and overpower Jack. Jack froze over half of them in one go. The rest he slashed to pieces with his staff. Each of his moves brutal and animalistic. But what he didn't realize was that Pitch was getting closer with each blow of the staff. He didn't realize that they were a mere decoy, meant to distract him so that Pitch could sneak up behind him. It was cowardly, yes, but horribly efficient. And… Jack realized this too late.

Pitch threw a ball of sand, similar to Sandy's but meant to give the person afflicted the worst nightmares imaginable. Jack turned just a fraction of a second to late and was hit in the face with the black grains. Jack struggled to remain awake and alert but the sense of uneasy drowsiness crashed over him like a wave. _'No, not now. I can't be taken. I have to fight…" _The thought trailed off. His eyes forced themselves closed, and his worst fears to come to life, if only in his mind. Pitch laughed as he caught the boy, his cackle the last thing Jack heard before his nightmares filled his pretty, little head.

"No, Jack you don't understand. Fear and belief are one in the same." He whispered the sleigh landed down, almost crashing, next to smile turned into a smirk.

North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny had seen the clash from above. They had gotten there as Pitch had called forth his nightmares and attacked Jack. They tried to get there in time to stop what was happening but landed only in tome to see Jack slump forward into Pitch's awaiting arms, unconscious.

"Pitch, give him BACK!" North hollered as he ran towards the pair. Bunny wasn't far behind, knowing the situation was mainly his fault. Pitch laughed.

"Oh, silly little guardians. Do you not see? He was in so much pain, and agony, and had so much _delicious fear and betrayal _ rolling off of him, I couldn't help but notice. Oh but he denied my request yet again. He said I knew nothing of what he felt, but I can only imagine what you must have done to break this poor _child's _heart." He sneered at the word child, making a mockery of the guardians of _childhood._

Bunny's ears dropped against his head, his eyes cast downward. Pitch laughed again, "Oh, so it was the little bunny of _hope, _that crushed his heart. How ironic. I wonder, did you enjoy smashing his dreams of a home and loving family? Did you like making him cry, seeing as he looks up to like and idol, his '_big brother'?" _

Bunny lunged at the man, trying to get Jack away. Pitch merely danced out of reach. "Sorry guardians. But he's mine now. Just watch as I take his broken heart and soul and tear it apart shred by shred. Watch as I make him scream for mercy, beg for someone to save him while you can only sit idly by searching for him. You won't reach him in time, and when you finally do find him, he'll be the broken and frightened child he really is." North launched himself at the pair at that moment. He was sick of the man talking, becoming fully disgusted with each and every word. But Pitch contorted the shadows around himself and disappeared, taking Jack with him.

North stumbled to the ground, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He hadn't reached him in time. He failed, they all failed, and what made this worse was that they failed their child, their Jack. He looked over at Bunny, the pooka's face riddled with guilt, but he didn't care how guilty the rabbit was right then. It was him who set off this chain reaction, so the only thing he cared about right then was Jack. But his anger flared, he pushed himself off the ground and walked towards Bunny, in the same manner he had towards Jack that morning. He grabbed the pooka by the strap of his satchel and pulled him so they were mere inches from touching noses.

"You caused this! Vhy did you hit Jack and say those cruel vords?! If you hadn't of done that ve vouldn't be in this mess!" North shouted. He was furious. Jack was like a son to him, and now he was in danger. The pooka only gazed at him guiltily not saying a word. North lifted his fist up, getting ready to strike the rabbit, when Tooth spoke.

"It wasn't just him. We all failed Jack. We left him alone for three hundred years. We only spoke to him because we were in a time of need. If Manny hadn't said to choose him as guardian, we probably wouldn't be talking to him still. Pitch was right. He is still a _child. _For the moon's sakes, we are supposed to guard children and give them happiness. And we failed, miserably. So right now, we need not lay blame, because we all did it, we caused it to lead up to this point. All Bunny did was pop it when it came to a head. He was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. It should have never gotten this far, but we let it fester. Right now we need to go save our Sweet Tooth. We can't let him down not right now, never again. Pitch took our kid and we need to get him back. We need to save him, then tell him how we all really feel about him, tell him how much he means to us. After all he is the glue that binds us together." She said, confidence building with each word. Tooth knew that to fix what happened in the past they needed to fix the present first. Her eyes were ablaze with a fierce determination, like that of a mother protecting her son.

North set Bunny down, and looked at the rabbit again. "I am sorry old friend, Tooth is right. All of our actions led to this point so it will take all of us to fix it. My anger clouded my judgement, so I unjustly sought you out to lay all blame on you. We must all work together to defeat Pitch once again and save **_our _**Jack." Bunnymund nodded, guilt was still on his conscience but he felt better knowing so did the others, they were in this together, it was their mess so they were all going to fix it. Bunny held out his paw and North clasped it, the symbol of their brotherhood and friendship. Sandy floated to them and placed his small hand on top of theirs, Tooth did the same. Together they would stand, together they would fight, and together they would save Jack. Once family always a family, these were the bonds that would never break.

**Okay there it is. Took me longer to type up then I thought it would. Pitch has Jack, and the Guardians will stop at nothing to get him back. Tell me what you liked and didn't like about this chapter. Tell me some plot twist you think will add to the story, just tell me your opinion. Please R&R!**

**~Smaguire XP**


	3. Chapter 3: Reaching for A Hand to Hold

**Here's the third chapter! After putting up the second one, tons of people reviewed! I was so happy! I love it when you guys review! So I decided to come up with the next chapter! Now, I'll stop rambling and get on with it.**

Chapter 3: Reaching for A Hand to Hold.

Jack was still unconscious , being dragged through the shadows and into Pitch's lair.

~In Jack's Head~

Dark waters surrounded him on all sides. He heard his sister screaming, he fought against the lead weight feeling in his limbs. He tried to yell, tried to free himself. He knew that it was only a nightmare, but he couldn't get rid of the panic he was feeling. Then he suddenly felt empty.

He opened his eyes and gulped down the air, tears pricking at his eyes. He was in the middle of a crowded street, no one even glanced at him. He stop and walked over to a child, he knelt down and tried to put his hand on the child's shoulder, but… It just passed through. Then he realized it…

His greatest fear was being _alone._ Jack felt the tears start to fall. In this world he was alone, and always would be. No one wanted him around, no one accepted him, he didn't have a family. He didn't deserve it. Jack flew from the town, and into the forest. There he sat down and folded into himself, and there he sobbed.

~With Pitch~

Jack's fear was absolutely delicious. It was usually hidden under a layer of anger, that would muddle the fear. But now that he had no way of defending his mind, his fear tasted crisp, like the wind at the break of dawn on a frosty morning. He was going to enjoy this as much as possible, until he broke Jack's will.

~ With The Guardians~

Bunnymund and the others were scouring the globe, for Jack. Bunny followed the scent of Jack that he received from the wind, Jack's eternal companion. Jack smelled like freshly fallen snow, crisp frost, and vanilla, he also had trace scents of himself and North. Bunny ran through his tunnels, following the newest trail that he caught on to. He didn't care if he had do this all night, if it would lead him to Jack.

~Back With Jack~

He slowly stopped sobbing and sat back up. He hated feeling weak, he hated how he was just sitting there. It was his head dammit! He knew this wasn't real, that it was only a simple nightmare. It may be his fear, but he could control it. It was his life, his mind. He closed his eyes and pushed his consciousness out. He would wake up even if he had to force his way out. He focused and pushed against his fear. If he had to he would conquer it. He pushed, and pushed. Then he felt it shatter, a mind numbing pain settled in. And he, well what ever a normal person would do, he screamed.

~With Pitch~

He turned to his captive. The fear had started to fade a touch, just as he laid eyes on Jack, Jack started screaming. Pitch laughed, he knew that Jack had tried to fight against him, knew that once he broke the nightmare that the sand was slowly withdrawing, and that it would cause a sharp, stabbing pain. Jack's eyes flew open, and the terror that was evident on his face, made Pitch guffaw. "See what happens, Jack, when you fight against me? Only pain and suffering can come of it. But I guess I should tell you, it has only begun."

He lifted the immortal teen up and threw him on a large table. Pitch snapped his fingers and restraints formed on Jack's wrists and ankles. Jack had finally stopped screaming, and watched wide eyed as Pitch made a long dagger. He stared as the larger male lowered the dagger towards his torso. Pitch must've taken the sweatshirt while he was caught in that nightmare…

All he can say was that it burned. Like he was caught in hell, which had been situated under a volcano. A scream tore from his throat. It was worse than when he had gotten into a fight with a summer sprite. Each slice deepened his agony. Tears once again formed in his eyes once again.

_Why me? What did I do to deserve this? _ Did he honestly deserve to die? Did no one really want him? **_Would anyone save him?_**

And once again he blacked out, against his will.

**This chapter was pretty short, sorry. But I'm gonna start the next one so it shouldn't be too long of a wait. Please R&R!**

**~Smaguire**


	4. Chap4:If I Fall, Will Someone Catch Me?

**Okay, so I know it has been a while, and I am super sorry. I had like an entire month of exams, SOL's, and Finals, and it totally sucked. I wanted to write, but my mom thought I needed to study. Just let you know, I totally didn't and just kept writing down more ideas for this fic. And even without studying I passed all my courses. So now I am home free, and can post more chapters. So, now onto the long awaited fourth chapter of _"Lonesome Winter, Trusting Spring, Bonds That Last Forever."_**

Chapter 4: If I Fall, Will Someone Catch Me?

~ With Bunnymund ~

He stood on the edge of the cliff, glancing down at the still waters below him. Everything was silent. Everything was calm, and he hated it. He wanted the edge of frost and winter to be lingering in the air, he wanted to hear the loud laughter of the rambunctious child he viewed as a brother, a son, his best friend. The serenity of the landscape was completely despised in his mind. He had been scouring the globe for days, leading into weeks. He had searched every town, every city, every country, every continent, he had to of turned every stone over in the world at least twice.

But… He still could not find Jack. He didn't even have the faintest clue of were the eternal teen was. Pitch had been getting bolder with spreading nightmares, it seemed as though he was flaunting it in their very faces, which was probably exactly what he was doing.

He rubbed a paw down his taunt face. He had barely slept in the past four days. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. His guilt was now embedded into his very soul, as was worry for his young friend. He knew that every moment he was not safely in one of the guardians' presence he was in danger, being tortured, reliving every single nightmare and fear he tried to hide in the past three centuries and so many years.

He turned away from the cliff and started to head back to the Pole. He needed a new plan. He needed a new set of eyes, or at least one of the other guardians to find a new angle to search from.

As his feet ventured away from the highest point of the coast, he caught a faint whiff of the very scent he had been searching aimlessly for, for the past week. His eyes widened. He knew this was the only chance that could even lead him to a simple clue to find the teen. He needed to alert the others, but he needed to stay in range of the scent or else he would lose it. He tapped his paw to the earthy dirt beneath his feet, and called for an egg sentinel, he wrote a message onto its back and sent him to Santoff Clausen. Then he turned his attention towards the lingering smell of pine, vanilla, snow, and frost. He ran towards the source, that was very,_ very,_ far off. He hoped, beyond _hoped,_ that he could finally bring Jack home, to be with his awaiting family, and that he wasn't too late and found Jack _broken beyond repair…_

~ With Jack ~

**_Darkness…_** Was what surrounded him, it filled the very air he tried to breathe, emphasis on _tried__. _His head submerged into icy water that threatened to consume him like it did all those centuries ago. He shuddered and tried to fight the need to inhale. He didn't need the air he tried to tell himself, he was immortal, he couldn't die. But his brain refused to listen. The panic was overwhelming. He sucked in the water as his body tried to inhale on instinct. His vision was growing foggy, and dark. But before the welcomed sensation of unconsciousness could be received he was yanked out of the water by his hair, and thrown back onto the hard, stone ground. He sucked the much needed oxygen in. He may have been immortal, and had told himself he didn't need to breathe, but he honestly did. He needed the motion of breathing to remind him that he existed, that even if he was immortal he was still **_alive._**

That may sound contradictory to other people, but in his mind, he needed the normality of the simple intake of breath. His body had done this for _three hundred and seventeen years._ It had become dependent on the action. It told him that he was real when no one else would.

He blinked back the tears and fog in his vision, and stared up at his captor. Pitch sneered down at him. Jack coughed up some water that had accidentally been inhaled into his lungs, and glared back at him. "Th-that all you g-got?" He tried to sound confident, but his words came out like a hoarse whisper. He had lost track of how long he had been here. It seemed like an eternity, between the torture and nightmares, but he knew it couldn't have been more than a week… He hoped… Everything hurt too much to care. His hope wavered, and started to crumble.

If anyone had cared they would have already come to save him. Right? But now he was questioning… Did anyone care? Why would they? He was death, the harsh winter, the end, the **_mistake child_**. Would anyone even want to save him?

He knew now that all he wanted was for it to end…

**Okay, so this chapter is shorter than the other ones by about maybe a hundred or so words, but I hope you liked it. And don't worry I'll be updating again soon, and I will be updating my other story soon as well. If you haven't checked it out, it is called _"The Time of Gathering". Again I'm super sorry it took so much time to update. But they should be coming more frequently. Love You guys! Don't forget to R&R! _**

**_-Smaguire_**


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